Evanescent Future
by Kisuru-chan
Summary: Fai and Kurogane will marry to affiliate their two nations. But to Fai's horror, fate has other plans for them. After Kurogane loses his memories, Fai finds himself on a journey with not only Kurogane but two strangers named Sakura and Syaoran that he has to learn to trust. One shot beginning their journey fic.


**A/N:** Written as an AU Exchange 2018 exchange gift for Panny.

Fai is "Yuui" until later. Reasons explained.

-()-

 **Celes Country**

Despite the frigid temperature that day, the people stand in droves on either side of the walkway and palace. In welcome, they watch bodyguards escort the hooded man between them and hollered with joy and anticipation.

Every citizen in Celes knew this was the person that would bind two warring countries together; this man and their current prince would tie the loose ends together. Because they loved the princes, the would accept anything for them, embrace it for them. The welcome into the country is a start.

Yuui sees something different.

The deeply engraved frown on the person's face was visible to him when they were in sight. To Yuui, he looks unimpressed, bored, a glint of annoyance in his red eyes. Sharp and on point, Kurogane's gaze lands on him.

When he sees his fiancée for the first time, Yuui feels like his entire body goes numb.

"You're blushing," Fai says. He elbows him in the ribs. His brother smiles at him, demure but amused, not shy to tease him. "Who knew you would be this enamored?"

Yuui sidesteps his advances and shrugs. Briefly, he is compelled to touch his cheeks and see—it has to be flush, not an impulse blush when nothing has happened yet—but he shuffles his feet nervously. He feels an inexplicable tug to the man before them, but he doesn't know if he can make him happy with a look like a devil. On the other hand, something about him isn't cruel. Yuui knows that he would do anything to perpetuate peace and love the person he agreed to.

Once they reach the low balcony, Ashura walks forward to greet them, raises a hand, and nods. This is only the beginning of a formal meeting and soon-to-be marriage.

-()-

Streamers fly. The orchestra symphony bounces and echoes on the ice. There is a sea of people who watch the ceremony, the moment they exchange rings of fluorite (the country's tradition wedding present of eternal life and prosperity). Even though the people are passionate and overjoyed, Yuui can't help but be overwhelmed with Ashura's proud (and hopeful?) beam at him. Fai watches him off to the side and his smile is curious. Yuui doesn't understand their sense of tension, but their feelings are overshadowed by his own. He makes a note to ask them about it later.

Kurogane still gives him that heavy, irritated glance, and Yuui crosses his arms over his chest. Every time he did that he always felt like he could see through to his soul. Half of the time Yuui wants to run away, and the other half he wants to meet it head on.

Amid the celebrations, Fai's hand lands on Yuui's shoulder. "Do me a favor," he says. The chattering and merriment around them differ from his tone. "Be careful around the palace. We must keep you safe, you know?"

Yuui blinks. Something is odd, but he doesn't know what. The palace is his home and always has been. He must mean the surge in unfamiliar people. Fai has been cautious of outsiders despite his friendliness and direct personality. "I won't do anything strange."

Later, he spots Kurogane. He puts on a smile for onlookers, but Yuui can tell how forced it is. It dawns on him that Kurogane isn't the type to be too chatty for small conversation. When he spots him, however, a small smirk graces his features. Yuui can only think the look must mean mischief. As if to prove it Kurogane approaches him, glances around, and grabs him by the arm, ducking out of the room behind a group of engrossed visitors.

"It's so damn stuffy around here," Kurogane grumbles. He throws his head and sighs. "Can't we look around here for a bit?"

Yuui is momentarily taken aback. But he finds himself nodding. The precessions had been exhausting on the both of them, and he wasn't particularly into it, either. But the reality of what he asked hit him immediately. He wringed his hands, thoughtful.

"Don't tell me you're scared of me," Kurogane says. His teeth are almost sharp-like. "You're so reserved I thought you were the one hiding something from me the whole time."

Yuui huffs at that. Honestly, he has no idea what he means . . . Well, there were many things that needed be said and done and he wasn't the most vocal concerning his issues. The only one that knows is Fai and he doesn't need to say everything. He was a mage in training at his age as well. He was no slouch as the Prince of Celes, especially against the one he married. "Of course not." Turning on his heel, he lead the way from the room, and Kurogane followed along behind him.

For a while they walk the corridors. The faint evening sunlight grazes the windows, and the icicles shine rainbow under their rays. His heart beats because he realizes that he is alone with him and they are together. Shortly, Yuui is aware they'll far into an area that is off-limits to anyone outside the royal family.

"What's back here?" Kurogane asks.

"Ancient tomes and artifacts that are native to us—the country," Yuui admits. He can't leave out the last part because the country is as important to their magic as they are to being its vessel. "Family secrets."

Kurogane examines the hallway of doors—it's like an endless maze of them, but he isn't ruffled by the challenge. He places a hand on the hard, wooden frame. It creaks open.

"Then would it be—"

Kurogane is cut-off mid-sentence.

An aura of purplish-black light emerges and engulfs him. For a moment he tries to fight back against it; Kurogane punches back, hits it tooth and nail. But it doesn't work. Stunned, Yuui reaches for his staff, but he is horrified to recall he doesn't have it with him. Weapons aren't allowed inside the celebrations. He tries to step forward but the wind knocks him back into the wall. Blurrily, a swarm of red swirls before his eyes and makes him dizzy. The wind is like a blizzard's cracked whistle.

And then it's gone. Kurogane falls on the floor.

Shock courses within him. For a heartbeat he's lost. He stands to his feet, shakily, trying to compose himself. Then, he drops to one knee and pulls Kurogane against him, the muscular limbs are without resistance.

There are no footsteps to signal anyone else there until Yuui feels someone at his side.

"I'm too late."

Gratefully, his heart leaps. If there's anyone who can help him there was no chance it would be anyone else. "Fai?" Yuui asks.

Face grave and tired, Fai looks down at him. Yuui has never seen his brother's expression so unnerved. He hovers above them.

"I see," he mumbles, and he laughs a little. The sound is dry and humorless. "The legend is formidable indeed. The curse, that is."

Yuui's mouth works. He doesn't feel his lips move. He bites his lip and his throat feels parched. "What are you talking about?"

"We don't have much time, Yuui." Fai looks as though he isn't about to elaborate, but he glowers at the pillar above his head, relents. "Twins can't properly take this country and rule. I thought your feelings would be strong enough. I thought the union between two as strong as the both of you would overcome the curse and break it, finally. You love this country beyond a doubt, after all." He took a winded, harsh breath. "The ritual failed. As a result, the palace also rejected you both."

Yuui doesn't know how to respond to that. It is his . . . fault? He clutches at Kurogane's limp body. Kurogane's head cradles against his shoulder. Yuui's body is stricken and feels foreign compared to his fading warmth.

"I don't know if, or when, we'll see each other again," Fai tells him. A tear slides down his cheek. The staff vibrates and the white light pours in Yuui's eyes and blinds him. A black silhouette of his brother stands in thick of his rapidly forming magic. "But, surely, we will."

Yuui restrains the urge to cough and choke. The magic swirls around him and Kurogane, and it jerks them away. Rapidly, the Celes ice palace he has known for his entire lifetime disintegrates before his eyes into nothing.

 **Yuuko's Shop**

"What do you wish for, then?"

The woman before him is pragmatic in her question. Her voice says she has spoken this line many, many times, but her eyes are compassion and her stance open.

She explains to him what he had to do. Gather the feathers and return them to Kurogane. He would do that. No matter what, he would do that and not let him down.

All the same, he couldn't forgive himself. The mantra rocked in his skull and he couldn't relieve the stress and anxiety. It was his fault. His fault they had gone back there, his fault he hadn't known anything about the curse Fai had protected him from, and his fault that when he was supposed to do something there hadn't been one thing for him to actually do.

Is he weak? Is he that terrible? Did he deserve to even hold his own name?

Fai . . . his brother had helped him.

Fai was different from Yuui.

Will they meet again? Why was he always the one to know the most? For so long, Yuui has aspired to be as confident and reliable as his older brother. Besides Kurogane, he was everything to him. He brought him out of more obstacles than he can ever count.

More than anything, Yuui wants to be like Fai. He wants to be more like him than himself.

"I want to save him. Please."

"You can't go back to your world."

"I'm not much to forget, am I? It might be for the best. That I can't curse that world again."

Yuuko's face stays emotionless, but he sees the flicker in her eyes of disagreement.

The man and woman nearby watch him, but he doesn't pay attention. Everything feels painful even though he isn't the one in it. The rest of the conversation is a blur and he barely notices when all five of them, including the creature that served that served as their guide, are swallowed by the beam of light.

The journey begins, and he is distant from it. He wants to be different than he currently us. Fai needed another identity and name.

 **Journey**

"Faaaiii." Mokona chirps. She lands on his shoulder and gently pokes him on the cheek. "Mokona doesn't like to see Fai so sad."

Fai smiles a little sadly. He didn't know how to pretend for the energetic little creature. Most of the time, he feels miserable, and he didn't know how not to be that by himself.

"Sorry." She squeezed his cheek, harder, but he still didn't feel like playing around.

On the bed, Kurogane laid. His spiky hear was in a small disarray, Fai slowly felt his mind wither at the sight. Still, his eyes lingered on Kurogane's form: his face is serene yet there are ounces of life stolen, a soulless, absent husk. He was dressed in a robe the people of the town gave them—they hadn't gotten much money yet. He hadn't moved for days, and Fai didn't know what they should do. Even when he thought through the guilt and sorrow—it had been a few days, and Fai, Mokona, Syaoran, and Sakura had all started adjusting to each other slowly a bit at a time—but he hadn't woken up quite yet.

Across from him on the tatami mat, Sakura surveyed him closely. Under her gaze, Fai has imagined that she sees straight through him. She had a soft, attentive look on her features, yet there was a strain in her expression. For some reason she gives him the impression of his mother, although she died years ago.

"We should go out," Sakura finally offers. She breaks the tension smiles kindly, holding out a hand. The loose-fitting sleeve of her silken pink and white robe falls down her wrist. "We aren't getting anything done. You never get anything done unless you do it yourself. Isn't that right?" The last question is directed to the two white dogs at her side. Both dogs bark at her enthusiastically, growling.

Fai glances between her and Kurogane. He can't possibly. Logically, he knew he should do something. But what if he isn't here when he returns? What stupid thought is that? Where is the anxiety sprouting from like poison? He never felt paranoid before.

"I don't know," Fai admits.

Sakura sighs. The dogs nudge her hand and lick her fingers playfully. Absentmindedly, the animal tamer pets them to quiet them, but her thoughts are still focused on Fai's refusal.

"Let's at least try. I promise he'll be safe here in the meantime," Sakura promises. She stands to her feet, and the offer of her hand remains. "C'mon, let's go. We might get a lead on one of the feathers. And what about this—I got a little money yesterday from the townspeople, and I'll buy us something nice."

Not convinced, Fai looks down at his hand. His fingers twitch. Somehow he finds his hand in hers, and she pulls him to his feet. With a darker expression suddenly overtaking her patient smile, however, she glances at the hunched man in the corner of the room.

Surrounded by books, only his torso was visible. Syaoran glanced down at the book in his hands, totally engrossed in it. He didn't seem to recognize that he was indirectly addressed until the room fell into silence.

"I'll stay," Syaoran told her. He didn't bother giving her another explanation, and his eyes skimmed the page of the story he read.

Sakura's eyes narrow. "Don't you want to help?" She approached the pile of books and pointedly hovered above the storyteller.

"I'm reading this," Syaoran says again, this time a little less patiently. He held up the edge of a scroll with tiny script and a ribbon around the area that wasn't in use. "There's a lot of reading I have to catch up on."

"Is that all you're going to do? Sit around and read books all day long while we do the work?" she asked. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, which Fai suddenly finds scary. "I don't think you've noticed. The faster we work together, we can accomplish our own goals on this journey."

"I am accomplishing mine. I just want to attain knowledge." He turns and shields his face with the book. "I need to spread and understand as many legends and—"

"I don't care about that."

"But many of them are true."

While they spoke and are distracted from him Kero, the yellow dog, approached his pile of books. He pawed at it. The entire stack of books crumbled to the ground and crashed into Syaoran. He yelped and flailed his arms. One of the books went flying and hit Kero in the nose. Howling, Kero ran back to Sakura.

"Now look what you did," Sakura pat the dog's head to console him. She glared at Syaoran. "Now apologize to him."

Syaoran crossed his arms over his chest. "It wasn't even my fault. It was its fault!"

"I don't need excuses," Sakura says curtly. Fed up, she turns on her heels. She whistles, and the dogs are at attention. They follow their mistress to the door and Sakura pulls Fai alongside here. "Just read, then."

Fai doesn't know how to break the attention between them. It isn't until then that the streak of command of discipline is obvious within Sakura. An animal tamer can't get away with being a little of both. Not that Fai understands anything about that. Either way, she doesn't give him a chance to think.

-()-

"Sorry about back there," Sakura says to Fai. She is now sheepish. The dogs trail at her side, and she leads the way for them. "I just . . . he makes me angry. He acts like he doesn't care at all. I don't think he does."

Fai nods but he doesn't know what to say. Does he expect a stranger to care about saving his husband's life and collecting feathers that spanned across the universes? Just because they travelled together didn't mean they were a family in that sense.

The town buzzes around them. Vendors at the marketplace yell bargains, children cry, and the world continues without them. It reminds Fai of Celes except the lack of ice and snow.

So lost in thought is Fai that he doesn't notice when a stick of meat appears in front of his face. It is tender and juicy and fresh.

"Anyway, we can't get anything done without something to eat," Sakura tells him. She takes his hand and wraps his fingers on it. "Eat up, and we'll start asking around."

Fai grips hard on the stick. He freezes up. He doesn't know what to say. He wants to say thank you, but she easily waves it off. Instead, he latches onto the other thing he thinks of.

"I don't know where we should start," he says, hoping to change the subject. For the first time in days he feels less dreary. Putting aside the depression feels . . . enlightening.

"Well, it'll be alright! Neither do I," Sakura says. "Anyone will do. In fact." She waves at a man at the merchant stall. "Hello, can we ask you a few questions about this country?"

While he hears her talk, Fai's eyes are wide, and he feels like maybe there is hope.

Things continue like that for a while. They find the first feather in the hands of an old man that has lived many years. Next, they move onto the next world; they found that feather housed in a museum. The missions weren't too dangerous like the Dimensional Witch had forewarned them. Then, the next world is on their radar. In total, they found two feathers on their arduous journeys so far.

Fai holds them above Kurogane carefully, cradling the tiny, fragile memories. Are they of him? His past memories? Well, it didn't really matter that much in the end. Each one of them is precious in their own way. They appear with a small flesh of light.

Still, he doesn't wake up.

"How many do we have to find before he finally wakes up and can talk?" he asks. He isn't talking to anyone in particular.

Sakura hums. She brushes the biggest, yellow dog's fur, pulling the teeth through its fur. "A few would make sense," she tells him. "After all, memories are highly important. They are who the person is. If they don't have them, they can't wake up and be themselves."

It sounds like sound advice. Kurogane's skin becomes warmer after the second one, too.

-()-

So, Fai becomes determined to find more of the feathers. Having done it twice now gives him less ready to be hesitant and foolish.

The feather became his reason to live. And the journey to the current feather is a giant, indomitable force that proves itself a challenge with every step. It was a world full of steel, mountain, and rough terrain. He stepped on the cranky rocks and bushes and hoisted himself on the heavy ledges.

The dragon's cave is for in the distance. That was what the village people had explained.

 _"I'll watch over Kuro-puu!" Mokona announced dutifully. She bounced on Kurogane's chest and waved her ears. "I want to go but someone has to watch him."_

"Thank you, Mokona," Fai said, and he smiled a tad. He thought it was endearing that she cared. Fai hadn't noticed her guard stance. Despite himself, he still couldn't stop looking even while they left the hotel room and started to make their way to the mountain.

In a way, there is guilt that he has happier memories than Kurogane does. But he will regain them at any cost. In the end Sakura reassured him that it wasn't his fault and he hadn't done anything to cause it. There was no reason for him to lament over his choices. Regardless, the mantra drums at the back of his mind, and he had done it himself.

Now, he is thankful Sakura had seen something in him—he hadn't expected her to be interested in him in any capacity. He supposed she would be after her stories; she had explained none of the animals she trained came perfectly in-tune with her, and she couldn't always keep them with her. It took practice to fix mistakes and change.

"I'm surprised you're coming today," Sakura says. She still wasn't too fond of him after how he treated her dogs, as well as Fai and Sakura themselves. "I thought you'd stay behind like you always do with your nose in a book." She eyes Syaoran warily. There is a spark of happiness in her expression, though. Syaoran walks on the other side of Fai.

Syaoran laughs a little nervously. He is still reserved but he keeps fighting to a minimum. "Well, it sounded like you needed the help," he says, honestly. "Besides, I wasn't reading to read, you know. There's more to it."

"Do tell?"

"You'll see when we get there."

"You know," Sakura says, frowning, "I hope you can fight for yourself. I have Kuro and Suppii. And call on my other animals in my orb to help me out when I need it, but—"

"Don't worry about me," Syaoran says. To put an end to the conversation, hops up on the nearest rock and speeds ahead of them.

Sakura scoffs at his back. Fai notes she isn't as upset as she has been with him, but she does wish he'd talk more to them. She then turns her gaze to Fai for his company.

"You can fight?" she asks. "With that staff?"

Fai bristled at that, and he looked half offended, half distressed. He grips onto the handle of his staff tightly; it was the real Fai's last token of send-off he hadn't realized until after they he had arrived at Yuuko's shop.

"I-I do! I just… I just…" he trailed off, not knowing how to express the thoughts that spiral in his mind. He had so many things he wanted to say but nothing that wanted to come out and make itself known properly.

Using his magic reminded him of home. Of a power he probably shouldn't have. What if the magic goes haywire should he use it? Is he cursed by just existing outside of Celes?

"Why don't you like using your magic?" Sakura asks. She supposes getting down to the bottom of that question itself would answer many of his problems.

"Before we left Celes, and the accident occurred—" Fai sucks in a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding in. He is surprised the words pour out this time when they had lumped in his throat the first time he talked to her. "It just hurts to remember how the magic hurt me and still might follow me."

Sakura nods. Fai notices she thinks over that statement and rolls it around in her mind. She didn't have question further. Too many questions between them, especially at this point of the journey where it's still novel, isn't ideal for them to explain everything.

"In the thick of action and through hardships," Sakura says, "bond are formed that way."

Soon, they made it to the cave. The mouth of the cave is wide, edged with rocks like a set of gnarled teeth, and pitch black inside.

"Is this the right place?" Sakura asks. She turned towards Syaoran, narrowing her eyes. The shaggy dogs trailed along at her heels. They panted and looked up at him eagerly at him, as though they expect a good answer.

Syaoran examines the cave mouth. He pulls out a scroll. On the scroll, there appears to be an ink drawing of the same design. He nods. "This appears to be the right place," he told her. "See," he added and pointed at the half moon crest above the cave, "that's the crest for the ancient dragon that seems to live here. I found in the book at the library in this world They told us not to try, but. It's a storybook! It came in handy, don't you think? Apparently, this dragon has lived here for generations, and he's known in many children's books."

Fai tilts his head at the proud lilt to his tone. He hadn't noticed until then, but Syaoran is quite proud of his knowledge and stories. The reason for his involvement on the journey is a bit more obvious to him—he must want to understand many things to take back home. At least that's Fai's preliminary conclusion.

Begrudgingly, Sakura nods. She doesn't want to say he's right but she can't ignore his help. "Alright. So let's go in slowly and see what we have here. If at worst, just leave this to me."

By then Sakura is footsteps ahead. She enters the cave, and Fai and Syaoran sprint to work overtime to catch up to her stride.

Inside the cave it is eerie and the sound of water echoes. Fai feels his body tense at the nebulous aura that smothers the entire place. He hugs the cloak around him closer. He was doing this for Kurogane… he had to do this… Well, it wasn't that he was technically scared, but Fai's grave face came into his mind's eye and he had to be just like him. He wouldn't be worried like this. Yes, as long as he didn't act rashly, nothing will be a disaster all around.

Soon, Sakura stops. There is a rustling noise at the front of the cavern and the narrow walkways dips into a circular room. There is a flash of pink light. In the light sat a giant red-scaled dragon with a wingspan of feet long.

Fai backs away on instinct. He didn't know if he could do this. It is far bigger than first imagined. The smoke out of its nostrils doesn't help his anxiety, either.

Sakura grabs him by the shirt and it makes him look at her. "You're not going to run away, are you?" she asked him. Her voice is firm and she looks at him dead in the eye.

Fai's eyes narrow. "Of course not! But—"

The dragon suddenly breathes fire. Syaoran, however, surprises them both; he leaps in front of them with his scroll and the paper absorbs it. Each second of the stream of fire sprays Fai and Sakura's eyes with soot but he collects the worst brunt of the fire itself. Seeing that it wasn't working, the dragon's fireballs come to a half and it roars.

"Wow," Sakura says, mildly impressed.

In the faint light Syaoran shuffles his feet, embarrassed that he hadn't hesitated.

Next, Sakura's dogs rush at the dragon and attack it, scratching, yowling, and biting at it, and they dodge the dragon's ferocious fire blasts. Fai expects the worst of it but the dogs aren't trampled. He sees they are graceful and agile. They will not to be outright caught by the creature and injured. To Fai's wonder, their attacks are effective, and he wonders if they have magic within them that adds extra damage to the way they fight.  
Fai hates himself for a moment, though, because he is waits for his opportunity.

"You!" Sakura calls. She skids on the ground. "You have to use your magic, and I know how. Can you paralyze it for the time being?"

And Fai is glad that she intervened to tell him what to do. Despite fights with his teachers, he has not fought one of these creatures. He knew that, but… can he cap the motion on a dragon so big? Yet again, he thought of Kurogane laying there on the bed without any sense of returning to his former gruff, noncommittal self, and he wouldn't want him to stop halfway despite the strange odds.

Fai stands his ground. He wills up the magic within his body. It glowed blue and white like the fresh snow in the deep winter. With determination, the magic launched itself at the dragon before them, and it impaled its scales. The dragon collapsed on the floor. It roars at them but the worst is over.

The swell of power goes through his body and he feels dizzy and didn't know his own strength. Fai staggers and winces. Sakura looks at him worriedly, but he smiles.

Sakura waves her hands. "You did it," she says. She pushes him forward by the back. The dragon twitches. "Hurry and take what we came here for. Claim your prize."

It isn't until then that Fai realized there was a faint red glowing light in front of them. And there is a feather there, too. He plucked it out of the air. It is Kurogane's memory—his precious treasure. He clutches it close in his hand, and he swears that he will continue to collect them. This was only the beginning; now, he moves forward day by day. He isn't scared to use his magic anymore.

"As for you." Sakura leans in towards the dragon. It snorts the smoke at her irritably. "Hush. We didn't hurt you that badly." Her tone is calm and steady. She pulls out a glowing orb, and she holds it up.

"Hey, you can't mean you it?" Syaoran asks. He sounds disturbed like she is rewriting something in one of the stories he liked. "Don't you know many years' worth of history this dragon has here? And you want it?"

"That's not for you to decide." Attention back on the dragon, she reaches and pats its scale. The dragon shifts under her but its resistance has lessened. "How about it? Are you lonely here? It seems really quiet… If you come with me, I promise I'll take care of you. And one day, I want you to see my world. We need . . . help there." Her eyes cloud over for a second and Fai notices the shadow across her face.

After the dragon nods, the sphere expands and the dragon disappears within its depths. The sphere glows three times, and Sakura kisses it, happy that she made a new friend.

Fai has more immediate, pressing matters.

Once they return to the hotel room Mokona jumps out of the way. He kneels down next to Kurogane and his staff clatters to the floor in the corner. The feather hovers above his chest and disappears within his body, the rings of power fading in its wake. Fai breathes in for a long moment and doesn't know what he expects. His heartbeat comes to a pause. Kurogane is silent for so long he about falls on the floor out of pure exhaustion. But he hears a sorely missed grumble, a cough, the tape of a fist striking the wooden ground.

"Where am. . . ."

Fai launches himself at Kurogane and hugs him. He doesn't know anymore. But there's heat on his cheeks and his eyes prickle and Kurogane makes a hissing noise that a shower of tears rained on him. Either way, Fai doesn't care, and he holds on tighter.

Things will work out in the future.


End file.
